Our Dwell office is on the southern end of Laurel Street in San Carlos which has experienced recent growth in the past few years with the addition of Trader Joe’s and several popular restaurants like Johnston’s Saltbox, Three Pigs, and The Office. I’m always looking for healthy dining out options and luckily we have another excellent option coming soon – The Toss! I reached out to The Toss owner, Tracy Everett, a local San Carlos mom to get the scoop. There’s something to be said for a woman starting her own business with passion and excitement AND even more so when it is in my town and she is meeting a vastly underserved niche in the fast, casual restaurant world. Tracy had me at salad and wine two blocks from my office 🙂

Alana: What was your inspiration for The Toss?

Tracy/The Toss: In talking with friends, I felt there was a void in the take-out salad world on the mid-peninsula – specifically San Carlos. Everyone wants a place where they can buy a quick salad or soup and our area lacks quick, healthy options. I lived in San Francisco and used to go to Pluto’s in the Marina. In New York City there are several options for quick salads too. There are several local restaurants that offer good salads but aren’t specifically a salad restaurant. I’m trying to fill that void.

Alana: Do you have any restaurant/food experience?

Tracy/The Toss: I have no formal restaurant cooking experience, however I worked in several restaurants in my young adulthood, which is where my passion ignited. I loved being around the food and buzz of a busy restaurant. When my son was young, I led Mommy and Me Cooking Classes with a girlfriend and then started a Cookie Decorating Party business. I attended a Culinary Boot Camp at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone a few years ago. I’ve always loved food and my passion always comes back to the kitchen. I hired a Chef Consultant to help create my menu and convert my home-based recipes to be suitable for a commercial kitchen and teach me proper methodology.

Alana: What is the concept for The Toss?

Tracy/The Toss: I created a hybrid of several different fresh and fast casual salad restaurants. The customer will move down the line to build a custom salad, similar to Chipotle. You’ll have a choice of greens, 5 salad toppings and can add meat/protein.

Vegetables and fruits will be locally sourced, chopped daily and organic, if possible.  Proteins will be hormone and antibiotic free and fresh-roasted daily. Dressings and soups will be made in-house in small batches.

We will also offer 5-6 signature salads, seasonal soups, grain bowl specials and I’m finalizing some choices that are kid-friendly because I realize not every child wants to build their own salad! The customer can dine in at one of our tables or take food to go.

In addition, I’ve applied for our beer and wine alcohol license so we will serve a small offering of California-based wines and beers.

Alana: What is your average price point?

Tracy/The Toss: A custom salad without meat will be $9.50. Protein/meat will be an additional $3.50 and up.

Alana: What are your hours?

Tracy/The Toss: As of now, we will be open Monday thru Friday 11:00AM to 6:00PM and Saturday 11:00AM to 4:00PM. As time goes on, I’d like to stay open later to serve wine and aperitif beyond 6:00PM.

Alana: What are you most excited for?

Tracy/The Toss: As a divorced mom, this is an enormous undertaking for me to do with extraordinary risk BUT my village has powered me along and propelled me. My village is amazing; I’ve had help from a retired Silicon Valley CFO, help negotiating my lease from an attorney friend, I’ve bounced ideas off of a friend/mentor who is a well-established and successful chef/restaurateur, my landlord is a former restaurateur who believes in me along with the folks at County Restaurant Supply, my girlfriends provide constant support and ideas, plus my bookkeeper and web designer! It’s empowering to turn this dream into a reality.

Depending on final permit approvals from the City of San Carlos and San Mateo County, The Toss is slated to open mid-October. The Toss is located at 1673 Laurel Street, San Carlos. You can follow The Toss San Carlos on Facebook. I wish Tracy and The Toss all the best for a successful opening! First to comment will receive a $25 gift certificate to The Toss courtesy of me! What do you want me to write about next?